The Big 12 Basketball Tournament Championship Game took place on Saturday night with the Arizona Wildcats taking on the Houston Cougars in a re-match of last year’s title game. Last year, the Cougars won in Kansas City, but in 2026, it was the Wildcats winning the tournament in their second season in the Big 12, and is the icing on the cake for a program that won the Big 12 regular season title as well. It was a heavyweight battle between two teams hoping to make a deep run in March Madness. Here are the top three takeaways from the game, which Arizona won 79-74.
Too Big, Too Tough for Arizona
Arizona was just the bigger, tougher team on Saturday night in Kansas City. No doubt, Houston gave Arizona a run in the second half in Kansas City, but it was the Wildcats who, when they needed a big play, proved to be the team that was going to make you pay. Whether it was a big bucket in the paint, a tough rebound, or a second-chance opportunity, Arizona did it all. Heck, Arizona even hit over 40% from three-point range, a rarity for the Wildcats this season. If they’re hitting threes, they’re almost impossible to beat. And it was Arizona finishing 46% from downtown, while Houston was barely over 30% from distance. Arizona was better from the free throw line, 84% vs. 71%, along with 13 more attempts as well.
Injury Scares
Let’s be honest, as sweet as this win was for Arizona, and as good as it would have been for Houston to become the first team since Iowa State in 2015 to win back-to-back Big 12 Tournaments, both teams are solidified with their NCAA Tournament spots. So the last thing either program wanted was injuries. Arizona had a real scare with Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley suffering a wrist injury in the second half. He would come back to play, but it’s unclear how healthy that wrist will be entering next week. And then, Koa Peat and Brayden Burries gave Tommy Lloyd a minor scare shortly after Bradley exited the game. It looks like everyone will be a go for the NCAA Tournament, but it’s one of the unfortunate, and underdiscussed parts of these Power 4 league tournaments, especially when the championship game is chalk.
It’s Arizona’s Big 12
Arizona is now the team to beat in the Big 12 Conference on the hardwood. It’s not Houston. It’s not Kansas. It’s not Iowa State.
When you win this league’s regular season title by two games, by going 16-2, and then go 3-0 in the Big 12 Tournament to win the championship, you get all the bragging rights in the world. And they’re well deserved in the best conference in college basketball.
Arizona is in its second season in the Big 12, and has taken the league from great to excellent. Getting to watch this program play the likes of Kansas, Iowa State and others, truly makes this, as the Big 12 dubs, “A Different League”.
But now, Arizona has to get over some of the March Madness woes that have plagued them in recent seasons. Let’s see how that goes starting next week.
